An Emperor's March

Chapter 1: War Drums

“Courage isn't having the strength to go on - it is going on when you don't have strength.” - Emperor Neighpoleon Bonaparte of Prance.

The boom of the Gryphonian drums could be heard over the hills and above the constant musket fire. Even in combat, they still played them with such finesse. It was terrifying and bone chilling how they just kept going, playing in the face of death. It was almost as if fear was as foreign to them as they were. How their drummers were even still standing as the soldiers next to them died was unimaginable. The stories of Gryphon magic were well known throughout the empire since the beginning of the war, well over eight years ago, but to think it possible was crazy.

Magic or not, it was accomplishing it's goal. It struck fear in the Equestrian soldiers, most of which were young and inexperienced. They marched on, but not because it was their duty. They marched on in fear of being shot by their own superiors. There were strict rules against showing cowardice in the face of the enemy. Officers were expected to weed out cowards and leave only those who could at least act like they were brave. And right now, false bravery and fear was what kept the young stallions alive.

They had suffered much in the battle. It had been raging for well over three days now, and it seemed as it was finally coming to an end. The Equestrian lines grew thinner and thinner as the Gryphon cavalry constantly charged them, taking few losses of their own but inflicting great casualties for the Equestrians. They moved so swiftly that the Equestrian lines didn't even have the time to fix their bayonets and brace for the charge. They were just cut down, like grass.

Moving to the top of the hill, a young pegasus, an odd sight in a line infantry regiment, marched on with the 15th Regiment of Hoof. Next to him, his sergeant, a red behemoth of a stallion, talked him down.

"Now, don't you worry, colt. You're gonna make it outta here jus' fine. We'll kick the birds back to the mountains they came from." the sergeant said, "By this time next week, we'll be back in Canterlot, an' the war'll be over. I'm sure of it."

The young stallion was not so convinced. None of the empire's other conquests took more than a year. This had been their longest and hardest fight, and it had taken much from both sides. While he may have not seen much combat, he had heard the stories. He had heard of Equestrian troops being ripped in half by Gryphon cavalry. How an entire regiment had been wiped out by an enemy aerial bombing.

"I don't know, Mac, I've never seen much combat, and I don't know the chaos of it like you do." the young pegasus said, "How do you do it? Fight, I mean."

Macintosh was silent for while. "It's the chaos that keeps ya alive. Keeps ya fightin'. You know if ya don't, you'll die. So ya fight hard an' ya win. Don't worry none about your friends, the other soldiers. Just about yourself. You're the one fightin' to live, but so is the guy yer fightin'. So ya gotta fight harder than 'im. Remember that, Contrail, that other fella is fightin' to live, too. It's your job to beat 'im, though. Now, get ready, it's time to fight harder."

As he said that, the order to halt was given. Contrail saw a battlefield for the second time in his life. For the first time, he was on one. For miles upon miles, there were bodies littered about. A vast majority of them were Equestrian, but there were still plenty of Gryphonians dead. He looked on as an entire line of Equestrian infantry was cut down by musket fire.

Out of nowhere, his regimental commander, a new one at that, stepped in front of him. "Sergeant Macintosh, I want you to take the 5th Platoon down the hill and meet the enemy as the rest of the regiment advances on their flank. Hold them off for as long as possible, enter melee if you must, just keep them in the open."

Mac simply saluted and gave a hearty, "Yes, sir," and proceeded in giving the order to march. Marching down a hill wasn't easy, especially for ponies, but they kept on. It was a bold move to send a lone platoon to hold off an entire enemy regiment, but orders were orders, even if some didn't like them.

"Darn fool." Mac said under his breath. He noticed that Contrail had heard him and sighed, "I don't suppose ya know who that was, do ya? That right there was our new Regimental C.O. First battle he's ever led stallions into, and he's already sendin' us to die."

Contrail was silent for a moment. "I take it you don't like whoever that is, you don't like him very much."

"S'not that I don't like 'im, jus' I don't like the tradition of putting royals in command of troops. We need proper military leaders, not some pompous pretty boy playin' soldier."

Contrail looked over at Mac, "He was royalty? Is he some relative of the Princesses?"

"Nah, he ain't no relative. That's Shining Armor, the former Captain of the Royal Guard. He's marryin' Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or at least that was the plan. The weddin' was postponed and Shining Armor was sent off to lead troops on the front lines. Now, he just might die on the front lines. But we have a job to do, and that's to hold the birds here until the rest flank 'em."

Mac was silent as they reached the foot of the hill, and continued for a few meters. Finally he gave the order. "Platoon, halt!" And so the stallions did. They stood, breathless, waiting for the next order. "Fix bayonets!" The click of bayonets was heard for several seconds. Some got them on just fine, other stumbled due to their nerves. The stallions were well aware where this fight was going, and very few of them were prepared.

"Alright, colts, listen up!" Mac yelled to his stallions, "We were told to hold these birds here, an' that's what were gonna do! We may not be the strongest bunch in Equestria's army, but we're damned tough! The 15th has taken beating after beating, and we still stand tall! Some of you may 'ave never seen combat, an' some of you never will again, so make the best of it! Fight for those fillies and colts back home, for yer parents and lovers! May the Princesses watch over you."

"And you as well." muttered the stallions of the 5th Platoon.

Silence remained unbroken for quite some time. The musket fire subsided, the cannon rounds and artillery ceased falling. Through the thick smoke ahead of the Equestrian troops, silhouettes began to form. At first it was a lone figure, then ten, then at least a hundred. Finally, they became visible: Gryphonian Bladed Hussars, the finest in the world. Few Equestrians have ever seen Bladed Hussars in combat, and even fewer have lived to tell of it.

The Hussars marched onwards, towering beasts covered in heavy armor and mounted with sharp blades across their legs and arms. Their bodies were more of a weapon than the average gryphon, able to tear the entrails from their foes. The Equestrian troops had never fought Bladed Hussars, and had no idea how to combat them. Only false bravery and fear would keep them alive.

"Platoon, stand tall!" yelled Mac. The stallions of the 1st Platoon proceeded in standing on their hind legs, and holding their muskets at shoulder arms with their forelegs. It was a technique taught to all Equestrian troops, as it was a much more efficient way of fighting than on four legs.

As they did so, the Bladed Hussars began to march forward toward the Equestrian lines. Soon, they picked up the pace, going from a march to a charge. As the continued, the Bladed Hussars began to lift themselves from the ground and bolted at the Equestrian platoon.

"First rank, kneel!"

They knelt.

"Make ready!"

They prepared themselves.

"Take aim!"

They shook as they lifted their muskets at the charging foe ahead of them.

For a moment, and just a moment, it was quiet and peaceful. Or so Contrail thought. He couldn't hear the distant skirmishes. The screeches of the Bladed Hussars were gone from his ears. The heavy breathing of the stallions and colts next around him were silent. He was at peace, until the order was given.

"Fire and charge!" Mac boomed over the cries of the gryphons. A deafening volley erupted just before the Bladed Hussars were about to collide with the Equestrian line. Contrail and the rest of the first rank took the brunt of it.

It was horrible. Not the fighting, not the war. The fact that I, a peaceful colt, killed someone today. He was a gryphon, sure, but he used to be something before he was a soldier. Maybe a teacher or a cook. A father or a husband. And I took away any chance he had of going back to it. It was horrible. I would have fallen to the ground in utter terror if my fear wasn't focused somewhere else. The horde of gryphons that weren't killed by the volley.

Snapping back from his thoughts, Contrail instinctively bashed the butt of his musket into an oncoming gryphon. Reeling back from the force, the gryphon, unconscious or dead, crashed into the young pegasus. Panicking, Contrail threw the gryphon off of him and surveyed the chaos around him. It was an utter brawl, blood and bodies flying about. Gryphons were tearing Equestrians apart, and Equestrians were piercing through the Gryphonian armor and straight into their hearts.

He couldn't bear himself to look away from it. A splatter of blood across his face finally snapped him back to reality. Contrail grabbed his musket and picked a gryphon. That was his kill. He lifted himself to his hind legs and charged the gryphon. It turned, noticing him, and swung its blade covered arm at him. The young pegasus swung his musket at the gryphon, locking it in between the blades on the Hussars hand.

"Please," Contrail said to the gryphon he was locked in combat with, "Forgive me...," The young soldier twisted his musket, snapping the still locked arm of the gryphon. It screeched in pain, pulling its arm back. When it looked back to the Equestrian soldier in front of him, the gryphon saw nothing but a bayonet then black. Shaking, Contrail ripped his bayonet from the skull of the gryphon, bringing out bloodied steel, and to his horror, a piece of what appeared to be... the gryphon's brain.

It was finally too much. The young soldier fell to the ground and vomited what little he had left in stomach. He couldn't take it. Before he had a chance to recover, the body of an Equestrian soldier fell on top of him. Then that of a gryphon's. Body kept dropping, and he was beginning to suffocate. Before he knew it, his vision began to go black.

"Keep fightin'! Don't shame yerselves now! Keep figh-" Mac's yelling was cut off suddenly, either by a gryphon or because Contrail passed out before he had the chance to finish.

The Rise of the Equestrian Empire: Part 1 - Birth of a Nation:

In the year 6,000 B.B, Equestria was a newly born nation, one of beauty and peace. It consisted of 4 races of the Equestrian people: The unicorns, the pegasi, the earth ponies, and ruling over them, the alicorns. Starting in the small city capitol of Canterlot, the rulers of Equestria, King Dusk and Queen Corona sent out pioneers and explorers in all directions to establish new homes and to expand the reach of their nation. This expansion was an astounding success, causing the borders of Equestria to triple in size.

This came with a price. They pushed on the borders of two already powerful nations: The Great Buffalo Tribe and the Republic of Gryphonia. When negotiations were attempted, the three nations were very skeptical of each other. The Buffalo and Gryphonians had already fought a war over territory, and were not willing to lose more to an upstart nation of undersized horses.

King Dusk handled it well, even with the tensions high. He brokered a peace that would last over 5,000 years. There were some, however, who did not think this peace anything more than writing on paper...